The roll-out plan

Halfway into 2023, Hynetwork proposed a change to the roll-out plan and sought feedback on the proposal. The change was to link up with the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC), prompted by the fact that the IJsselmeer pipeline would become available much later than initially planned. Additionally, we used the consultation on the roll-out plan to inform the market that we had revised the original roll-out timeline for the national hydrogen network and pushed back the completion date by roughly one to two years.
 
Owing to the delay in the progress of the DRC project and the government’s associated decision-making process on the (degree of) integrality in the project procedure, adoption of an updated roll-out plan unfortunately turned out not to be feasible. After all, the hydrogen pipeline in the DRC is an essential link in connecting the industrial clusters in the west of the Netherlands, such as Rotterdam, to other industrial clusters in the Netherlands, to hydrogen storage facilities, and to the Ruhrgebiet industrial area across the border in Germany.
 
At the end of 2024 the Dutch government completed the decision-making process on the DRC, creating clarity on the modalities in the DRC, on the approach, and on the targeted completion date for the hydrogen pipeline in the DRC. In addition, Hynetwork has also updated and clarified the plans and timelines for other network sections. In December 2024, we published a new proposal to adjust the roll-out plan. Stakeholders had until 31 January 2025 to respond to this.

We received nearly 60 responses from producers, customers, industry associations, governments, foreign companies and network operators, representatives for industrial clusters and port authorities.  All responses have been carefully studied, everyone has received a response, and the proposal to amend the roll-out plan has been finalized and sent to the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. The roll-out plan will be established by the minister.

What we have seen in the consultation feedback is that it is primarily about the timeliness of development of the network, amplification of the roll-out plan, further specifics for the roll-out timetable with further details of the pipeline sections, and the importance of timely and coordinated development of sufficient transport capacity at the right border points. Take a look at the summary of the consultation feedback and our detailed response to it.

Everyone who sent in feedback as part of the consultation has received a personal response from us.  In addition to that, we organised information sessions with the parties involved. These sessions allowed us to discuss the detailed timetable and potential risks, as well as subjects such as tariffs, system interfaces and connections. Our intention behind this kind of mutual coordination and further collaboration is to pre-empt risks, so that we are able to go full steam ahead in developing the hydrogen network. If you, too, want to join the conversation on the hydrogen network, let us know through your contact at Gasunie or by sending an email to [email protected].

The Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth will adopt the roll-out plan. We do not know at this point when exactly that will be. We will publish the adopted roll-out plan on our website as soon as possible.

Do you have questions? Please contact us at [email protected]. We will be happy to talk with you.